Surgical guides in exoplan: how Guide Creator works
How surgical guides are designed in exoplan with Guide Creator: implant planning, sleeve or sleeveless protocols, drill kits, anchor pins and libraries.
A surgical guide transfers a digital implant plan to the patient. The guide is a simple printed part, and its accuracy comes from the plan, the libraries and the drilling protocol behind it. In the exocad ecosystem the planning happens in exoplan, and surgical guides are designed with its Guide Creator module. The implant plan is a clinical decision. The design work turns the approved plan into a guide that fits the patient and the surgeon’s kit, and this post describes how.
Data needed for a surgical guide
The planning starts from a CBCT in DICOM format and an intraoral or model scan of the arch, which will be matched to it. A prosthetic setup of the planned teeth is needed as well, because the implant positions follow the prosthesis. The lab also needs to know the surgical kit and implant system the surgeon will use. For edentulous cases, a scan of the existing denture is often used as a reference.
From implant plan to guide
Matching the scan to the CBCT
The surface scan is aligned with the CBCT. A poor match produces a guide that looks precise on screen and is inaccurate in the mouth, so check the overlay in several regions.
Implant planning
Implants are placed from the prosthetic setup, respecting the anatomy. exoplan works with a large implant library ecosystem, and the exact implant has to be in the library.
Guided protocol
Guide Creator uses libraries of drill kits, sleeves, anchor pins and drill protocols, and it can suggest matching components for the chosen implant. It supports workflows from guided pilot drilling to fully guided implant insertion, including manufacturer-specific solutions such as multi-guide or sleeveless protocols.
Guide body
Define the support (teeth, mucosa or bone), the extension, the thickness, inspection windows and irrigation access. A tooth-supported guide needs a stable seat that can only be placed one way.
Edentulous cases
On edentulous jaws, anchor pins hold the guide in place. exoplan can design a fixation guide from the shape of the original denture, so the pins go into the planned positions before the surgical guide is placed.
Export and production
Export the guide and print it with a resin and printer workflow validated for surgical guides, including the post-processing and the disinfection or sterilization method indicated by the manufacturer.
Guided surgery libraries in exoplan
Guided surgery libraries install in ImplantPlanning/library/surgicalguide and implant libraries in ImplantPlanning/library/implant. To place prosthetic components such as titanium bases or multi-units in exoplan, copy the DentalCAD library into the exoplan implant folder. The details are in installing implant libraries in exocad.
Checks before printing a surgical guide
- The CBCT and scan match has been verified in several regions.
- Implant, sleeve, drill kit and protocol match the surgeon’s kit.
- The guide seats on the scan without rocking.
- Inspection windows and irrigation access are where they were requested.
- The report for the surgeon lists implant positions, sleeves and the drill sequence.
exoplan or Blue Sky Plan
Labs and clinics that already run exocad benefit from staying in one ecosystem, because the plan can move into the DentalCAD immediate load workflow with the same implant data. Occasional users may prefer a pay-per-export model such as Blue Sky Plan. The accuracy rules are the same in both programs. For the prosthetic side of the case, see choosing implant abutments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between exoplan and Guide Creator?
exoplan is the exocad implant planning software. Guide Creator is the module inside exoplan that designs the surgical guide from the approved plan.
Where are sleeve and drill kit libraries installed?
In the exoplan folder ImplantPlanning/library/surgicalguide, with the library folder placed directly inside it.
Can exoplan design guides for edentulous patients?
Yes. Anchor pins stabilize the guide on edentulous jaws, and a fixation guide can be designed from the shape of the existing denture.
How does exoplan compare with Blue Sky Plan?
Both plan implants and design guides. exoplan integrates tightly with exocad DentalCAD, while Blue Sky Plan is free to plan with and charges per export.